After three years with no increase, Premium Processing fees for all USCIS forms will increase on February 26, 2024. Any Form I-907 requests for premium processing arriving at USCIS on or after that date will need to be submitted with the higher fees. Continue reading “USCIS Premium Processing Fees going up on February 26, 2024”
No End in Sight to State Department Visa Processing Delays
On June 15, we reported that the State Department computer system used for verifying the personal data of visa applicants and for printing visa stamps was crippled by a “glitch” causing worldwide delays. Today the State Department estimates that it will be at least another week before the problem is resolved. The agency also confirmed that it was a hardware failure, which has eliminated its ability to process it’s regular volume of 50,000 applications per day. Continue reading “No End in Sight to State Department Visa Processing Delays”
The ABCs of Alternatives to the H-1B
The H-1B Cap for the 2016 H-1B Cap Year (October 1, 2015 – September 30, 2016) has been exhausted. 233,000 applications were submitted for approximately 85,000 slots. There is no relief in sight, as stalemate in Congress continues to prevent any meaningful immigration reform. Employers that want to hire professional workers who do not already have an H-1B from a prior lottery, will have to wait until next year or look for an alternative. While the list looks promising, in actuality it is a rare case when one of the alternatives fits an employer’s specific needs. Consulting with experienced immigration counsel is mandatory for finding a suitable alternative. The basic list of alternatives follows: Continue reading “The ABCs of Alternatives to the H-1B”